Counting Sheep with "Les Lalanne"

<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Everyone can recognize animals throughout the world. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>You don't have to explain what they are or mean.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Francois-Xavier Lalanne</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(1927 - 2008)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The French artist Francois-Xavier Lalanne trained as a painter but became a sculptor of surrealistic animals. His "Mouton de Pierre," a group of ten painted epoxy stone and patinated bronze sheep, sold for $7,474,500 at a <a href="http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=5521330">Christie's</a> auction in 2011.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66ngBpHaBoTPTTaelhyphenhyphenw0mMPqgPtT8n7FoFyu8rYTF9JXcgoU68RCExQthg3A9PDA7cZ-4-XprMer25U7LFW58iWEk-_Pi5DznazizOXvxaJQvfCs8jAxLQHjWoaAw_GH4E6_SXMTi4U/s1600/francois-xavier_lalanne_mouton_de_pierre_a_group_of_ten_painted_epoxy_d5521330h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66ngBpHaBoTPTTaelhyphenhyphenw0mMPqgPtT8n7FoFyu8rYTF9JXcgoU68RCExQthg3A9PDA7cZ-4-XprMer25U7LFW58iWEk-_Pi5DznazizOXvxaJQvfCs8jAxLQHjWoaAw_GH4E6_SXMTi4U/s640/francois-xavier_lalanne_mouton_de_pierre_a_group_of_ten_painted_epoxy_d5521330h.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to the <i><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/arts/design/14lalanne.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print">New York Times</a></i>, Lalanne said he "wanted to bring the notion of usefulness to sculpture and to demystify art, which he regarded as a funhouse rather than a cathedral." </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a young man, he briefly worked at the Louvre and on days when the museum was closed, he could not resist the opportunity to climb onto the back of the bull Apis in the ancient galleries. With regard to his own art he explained, "</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just the fact that you can squat on it reduced the risk of this inappropriate devotion."  </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lalanne met his future wife Claude Dupeaux when she attended a showing of his portraits and landscapes at a Paris gallery in 1952. For a while the couple created window displays together. One of their clients was the fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, who later bought many pieces of the art they made. Said Francois-Xavier and Claude about their creations, "They are not furniture, they are not sculpture - call them '<a href="http://www.artnews.com/2012/04/24/brass-menagerie/">Lalannes</a>.' "</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Francois-Xavier Lalanne died in 2008 at age 81, but his widow Claude Lalanne (born in 1924) continues to produce work in Ury (south of Paris) where she and her husband created art together. Designer Reed Krakoff and architect Peter Marino are two high-profile fans of Lalannes, and photos below feature the works in interiors the two men have designed. <a href="http://www.paulkasmingallery.com/artists/les-lalanne">Paul Kasmin Gallery</a> represents Les Lalannes.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEIiy0wyaWgX_crDEFpuBqfywYHIN5oMQis_B2mwZvWq9i0vWj7CVuttXyrvNanMIUXbUt8QInX1agta5bzF92cg2LwjeE5fQVKXrqlB1AgHJCrrPlocEojPgHYDk7Vr0XntgojN76qnc/s1600/d5270123l+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEIiy0wyaWgX_crDEFpuBqfywYHIN5oMQis_B2mwZvWq9i0vWj7CVuttXyrvNanMIUXbUt8QInX1agta5bzF92cg2LwjeE5fQVKXrqlB1AgHJCrrPlocEojPgHYDk7Vr0XntgojN76qnc/s640/d5270123l+(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/furniture-lighting/claude-lalanne-crocodile-banquette-a-gilt-bronze-and-5270123-details.aspx?from=searchresults&intObjectID=5270123&sid=ac21b238-cbc5-4011-b43a-96d9df57ba59">Christie's</a> sold <i>Crocodile Banquette</i>, a gilt-bronze and copper crocodile bench designed by Claude Lalanne in 2008 for $482,500 on December 8, 2009. A chair with a similar design appears in a photograph below of Reed and Delphine Krakoff's home.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZelZI8Gglh8boqadMlA1If1KZ9pa-1ZqJbBXebGK9jbjrwyMC2qP_zEnFuWVD1QfX2u1JJwugm9v2LH-uz-kUC9jkwL4jV0IZpAsASXvTVpd16VXwJNStQl6hCLFBTD9d3BupM09AwTg/s1600/claude_lalanne_banc_crocodile_petit_modele_2008_d5320933h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZelZI8Gglh8boqadMlA1If1KZ9pa-1ZqJbBXebGK9jbjrwyMC2qP_zEnFuWVD1QfX2u1JJwugm9v2LH-uz-kUC9jkwL4jV0IZpAsASXvTVpd16VXwJNStQl6hCLFBTD9d3BupM09AwTg/s640/claude_lalanne_banc_crocodile_petit_modele_2008_d5320933h.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/furniture-lighting/claude-lalanne-banc-crocodile-petit-modele-2008-5320933-details.aspx?from=searchresults&intObjectID=5320933&sid=5227bc8b-a721-4cbe-9679-478659d97422">Christie's</a> sold Claude Lalanne's <i>Banc Crocodile, Petit Modele</i>, 2008 for $156,806 in Paris on May 28, 2010. Similar benches appear in two rooms featured below.</span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are some photos of sheep and crocodile sculptures created by "Les Lalannes:"</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbn7PCjHTqljCXFd2E7z0VE3kQoSiGbVwPqDG7-fjogX3oYyEsqsNyNsTaq8Py3iQicdY2M0-MD1UPOGIthLgEE0c-2RFWHQmYCcecY0WFA7evYpBFmYk6YK3qbdIuOfHZD7_pckiAPOw/s1600/DAG-sheep6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbn7PCjHTqljCXFd2E7z0VE3kQoSiGbVwPqDG7-fjogX3oYyEsqsNyNsTaq8Py3iQicdY2M0-MD1UPOGIthLgEE0c-2RFWHQmYCcecY0WFA7evYpBFmYk6YK3qbdIuOfHZD7_pckiAPOw/s640/DAG-sheep6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Moutons Transhumant (Bebris)</i>, 1988.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"Moutons</i>, a herd of 12 sheep and lambs, was first created in 1965, with several updated editions since. The work was created to be something </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">invasive and out of the ordinary,' meant to mock what is traditionally viewed as 'fine art.' Placement in the Palmetum evokes a peaceful, pastoral setting. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The art of Claude and Francois-Xavier Lalanne was at Fairchild [Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables, Florida] during the 2010 - 2011 art season. Their art is inspired by nature itself as Claude Lalanne typically uses plant forms in her work and her husband </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Francois-Xavier used animal forms."</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.fairchildgarden.org/events/festivalpicturelink/Les-Lalanne/">Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden</a>.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkq7siOcd3hhuuoUxewzMfxnP_pn-DNJMklOHPE7BWfAS0MAPZlh4OuDm5rZdYDPMdKbU0CZaEtrWQN_ccsum4DgP5pwFxmPnhWWz84mE7fuTzZXnAxVzdTm4ULN-NRRuaxYK0NcdHuHA/s1600/estates-greystone-great-house-7-0309_MD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkq7siOcd3hhuuoUxewzMfxnP_pn-DNJMklOHPE7BWfAS0MAPZlh4OuDm5rZdYDPMdKbU0CZaEtrWQN_ccsum4DgP5pwFxmPnhWWz84mE7fuTzZXnAxVzdTm4ULN-NRRuaxYK0NcdHuHA/s640/estates-greystone-great-house-7-0309_MD.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lalanne Sheep, 1965.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salle de Reception designed by <a href="http://www.waldosdesigns.com/">Waldo Fernandez</a>.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Great House at Greystone Estate Show House.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photography by Peter Vitale.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.veranda.com/room-decorating/great-house-greystone-estate#slide-7">Veranda</a>.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFOpdZ7JbJ9P42YSpb2y4IzZ8nCfaruihhWU119TVESJw8x9nwRlTux-xLqs77g0VYlOFP3psJ8NLVGnFxwjvI_BsMygFMy9Ofu1_waYnfUXjEblKqGFU61qPYMcYnylPNaHsufMMLvM/s1600/paris-apartment-design-ideas-deniot-0511-03-lgn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFOpdZ7JbJ9P42YSpb2y4IzZ8nCfaruihhWU119TVESJw8x9nwRlTux-xLqs77g0VYlOFP3psJ8NLVGnFxwjvI_BsMygFMy9Ofu1_waYnfUXjEblKqGFU61qPYMcYnylPNaHsufMMLvM/s640/paris-apartment-design-ideas-deniot-0511-03-lgn.jpg" width="516" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The entry holds a pair of 1940s Gilbert Poillerat lanterns, a Deniot-designed mirror, and a sheep sculpture by Francois-Xavier Lalanne; the console is draped with linen embroidered and painted by Jean-Francois Lesage."</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paris pied-a-terre.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interior design by <a href="http://www.deniot.fr/">Jean-Louis Deniot</a>.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photography by Miguel Flores-Vianna.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Luxe Living on the Left Bank" by Ian Phillips.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.elledecor.com/home-remodeling/luxe-living-on-the-left-bank#slide-3">Elle Decor</a> (May 2011).</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWnSzyzQP1C6o7LElN9j9aqmd-m5e51ht_7-QCo0tbzaYnQkvJ-hz7wkZi9rxQ0TpJX3H3WVbTwCIAPgaGAi04zkUild8DyIn2WQaOxwxYMOaOO4LfcBih-ddrVw_Xqj3ZzkoRi-22B0/s1600/paris-apartment-design-ideas-deniot-0511-10-lgn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWnSzyzQP1C6o7LElN9j9aqmd-m5e51ht_7-QCo0tbzaYnQkvJ-hz7wkZi9rxQ0TpJX3H3WVbTwCIAPgaGAi04zkUild8DyIn2WQaOxwxYMOaOO4LfcBih-ddrVw_Xqj3ZzkoRi-22B0/s640/paris-apartment-design-ideas-deniot-0511-10-lgn.jpg" width="516" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another view of the entry and the Lalanne sheep sculpture.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Artwork above the console is by Sebastian Hempel, and the pair of brass-and-chrome lamps are from the 1970s; the floor is paved in 18th-century French limestone </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">with black-marble accents."</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paris pied-a-terre.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interior design by <a href="http://www.deniot.fr/">Jean-Louis Deniot</a>.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photography by Miguel Flores-Vianna.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Luxe Living on the Left Bank" by Ian Phillips.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.elledecor.com/home-remodeling/luxe-living-on-the-left-bank#slide-10">Elle Decor</a> (May 2011). </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yZ-S1Ui5ftCBNWwgjC1TCyYR-u-21-IZaNGvn5VDoZnQ0O5cDJihVC46t5y9pXePp7yUGj1prvHG77srTx7t_9TW20wgg-mLLUaN9KF0DQW4HFB4Eogb-uA1v9T1mizggnZiSv-9n7k/s1600/img-reed7_221453298211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yZ-S1Ui5ftCBNWwgjC1TCyYR-u-21-IZaNGvn5VDoZnQ0O5cDJihVC46t5y9pXePp7yUGj1prvHG77srTx7t_9TW20wgg-mLLUaN9KF0DQW4HFB4Eogb-uA1v9T1mizggnZiSv-9n7k/s640/img-reed7_221453298211.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Alexander Liberman's dot painting hangs above Garouste and Bonetti's console and chairs and a flock of Lalanne sheep in the entrance hall."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Manhattan home of Reed and Delphine Krakoff.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interior design by Reed and Delphine Krakoff.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Reed and Delphine Krakoff: Design for Living" by Hamish Bowles.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photography by Sheila Metzner.</span><br /><a href="http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/reed-and-delphine-krakoff-design-for-living/#/magazine-gallery/reed-and-delphine-krakoff-design-for-living/7" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vogue</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (August 15, 2010).</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBIJKwsZNCQjr8rJbQUIGGJeTeQOo757FWzRoO9YdByDpFFqIhYZ8uT7vVH2eGNnkSo5y57jMBtuXFV8Qy-SDBfZQq3YVRxUuMUG8fY2lm8h_m8bLpW5aBFef05fswhtmCKs3xme9QmM/s1600/img-reed1_221213875959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBIJKwsZNCQjr8rJbQUIGGJeTeQOo757FWzRoO9YdByDpFFqIhYZ8uT7vVH2eGNnkSo5y57jMBtuXFV8Qy-SDBfZQq3YVRxUuMUG8fY2lm8h_m8bLpW5aBFef05fswhtmCKs3xme9QmM/s640/img-reed1_221213875959.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Robert Motherwell's 1968 <i>Open No. 16</i> surveys the living room's designscape. The Claude Lalanne bronze crocodile chair sits next to a chrome-and-Lucite </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Guy de Rougemont coffee table. Jean Royere's 1953 sofa.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Manhattan home of Reed and Delphine Krakoff.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interior design by Reed and Delphine Krakoff.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Reed and Delphine Krakoff: Design for Living" by Hamish Bowles.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photography by Sheila Metzner.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/reed-and-delphine-krakoff-design-for-living/#/magazine-gallery/reed-and-delphine-krakoff-design-for-living/1">Vogue</a> (August 15, 2010).</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2uyUx1K8dcucBZP-f-uS2bTLFe6Zz2eXge1XgFR7mmKqim69umsofpFrhgXXT5c7JdocDhporyk3s-doATLYiHgJox8vBZutpaAfLaM00fxUtRJK2WmzqT8uRhX2NtCLTzbJrAmBX1I/s1600/item4.rendition.slideshowWideVertical.peter-marino-05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2uyUx1K8dcucBZP-f-uS2bTLFe6Zz2eXge1XgFR7mmKqim69umsofpFrhgXXT5c7JdocDhporyk3s-doATLYiHgJox8vBZutpaAfLaM00fxUtRJK2WmzqT8uRhX2NtCLTzbJrAmBX1I/s640/item4.rendition.slideshowWideVertical.peter-marino-05.jpg" width="496" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cocktail table by Claude Lalanne.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Four Seasons penthouse suite of Ty Warner.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interior architecture and design by <a href="http://www.petermarinoarchitect.com/">Peter Marino</a>, FAIA.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Architecture by I. M. Pei, FAIA.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photography by Durston Saylor.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.architecturaldigest.com/architecture/2012-01/peter-marino-homes-slideshow#slide=5">Architectural Digest</a> (July 2007).</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-Iv5SJc1MQuTMr9qEFkzpjCyzN-G5Xt1R_YumK5QDZey-AE0wusU3w3fMT0gWVlX7U0JAZJkXWLB3Zc0WbTKWeEGBJ4qFgGb8xGstD4QA6tNqCzdWE63CgNz5Wg4n0MQml2wcWq1FlE/s1600/design-ideas-ayres-ED07-04-lgn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-Iv5SJc1MQuTMr9qEFkzpjCyzN-G5Xt1R_YumK5QDZey-AE0wusU3w3fMT0gWVlX7U0JAZJkXWLB3Zc0WbTKWeEGBJ4qFgGb8xGstD4QA6tNqCzdWE63CgNz5Wg4n0MQml2wcWq1FlE/s640/design-ideas-ayres-ED07-04-lgn.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Armchairs upholstered in linen velvet by Quadrille, a custom-designed ottoman by Jonas Upholstery, and a Claude Lalanne bronze bench used as a cocktail table in the library; decorative artist Jean Carrau painted the paneling to resemble pine and treated the knots with gold leaf."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interior design by <a href="http://www.bjminc.com/">Brian McCarthy</a>.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Architecture firm: <a href="http://www.fairfaxandsammons.com/">Fairfax and Sammons</a>.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photography by William Waldron.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Transformers" by Mitchell Owens.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/the-transformers#slide-4">Elle Decor</a>.</span></div></div>

Counting Sheep with "Les Lalanne"

Everyone can recognize animals throughout the world.  You don't have to explain what they are or mean. Francois-Xavier Lalanne (1927 - 2...

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Piero Fornasetti

<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Piero Fornasetti was a Milanese painter, sculptor and interior decorator. Born in 1913, he was the creator of furniture and decorative objects bearing his whimsical, classical, trompe l'oeil images. Recurring themes included the sun and harlequins, but his most famous creations probably were the items in his "theme and variations" line. These products featured the classically beautiful and enigmatic face of an opera singer named Lina Cavalieri. Her picture appeared in a 19th-century French magazine and Fornasetti used that image to create more than 350 items, including plates. Here is a collection of plates that are available at <a href="http://www.unicahome.com/" target="_blank">Unica Home</a>.</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMF6IVPd7lMbJnRiHpZcC38grSXAzgFcLV_JpBIaUVPMSbuzlnXHzGfeISz9shTYToQh6lGEGlAkQuozeyq3dpk5vKBeKZ03mlHS7lye8jk1YwsHjfS7mVIKA6viWhugmXyiYzcMHfcyk/s1600/24869.48A27849%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMF6IVPd7lMbJnRiHpZcC38grSXAzgFcLV_JpBIaUVPMSbuzlnXHzGfeISz9shTYToQh6lGEGlAkQuozeyq3dpk5vKBeKZ03mlHS7lye8jk1YwsHjfS7mVIKA6viWhugmXyiYzcMHfcyk/s1600/24869.48A27849%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some people have compared this beautiful opera singer to the Mona Lisa. These plates remind me of Marcel Duchamp's artwork, "L. H. O. O. Q.", which Duchamp created by adding a beard and mustache to a cheap postcard image of the Mona Lisa.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="image" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Marcel_Duchamp_Mona_Lisa_LHOOQ.jpg"><img alt="" class="thumbimage" height="395" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6e/Marcel_Duchamp_Mona_Lisa_LHOOQ.jpg/250px-Marcel_Duchamp_Mona_Lisa_LHOOQ.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Image from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L.H.O.O.Q." target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>.</span></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">In fact, one of Fornasetti's plates (below) does feature Lima Cavalieri with a mustache. (Duchamp created "L.H.O.O.Q." in 1919 when Fornasetti was six years old.) </span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvW7KkDXXljZH44t6n-ReAT_e3rdu_mQ-sEWNkzvpT_MndohaypcYO39PaP_kse4I7uSnOqB5CyUNLxz5Zl34Lg8KhP6ITwXTFawQobLXyFUXAtrawA8FGYyMA6qnyxy1LJH-NaUZI_s/s1600/24869.46B2FB0C%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvW7KkDXXljZH44t6n-ReAT_e3rdu_mQ-sEWNkzvpT_MndohaypcYO39PaP_kse4I7uSnOqB5CyUNLxz5Zl34Lg8KhP6ITwXTFawQobLXyFUXAtrawA8FGYyMA6qnyxy1LJH-NaUZI_s/s1600/24869.46B2FB0C%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Plate images from <a href="http://www.unicahome.com/" target="_blank">Unica Home</a>.</span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In addition to plates, Fornasetti created chests, screens and wallpaper, which are popular in decor today. Take a look. . . . </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wjQJMz7GpBSWj-Joj0iJhoDm8k0ISELcPIir07A9N2XC2IrQr_SpTk66DaXajSgmjHzGZqxtz3CpeIw5XAqrbC2DxyUaPM03QGs49QO1qJ_MRJPQ61TbRf_AqYlGvVA4zPZS2nmAdt8/s1600/ADCountryClarity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wjQJMz7GpBSWj-Joj0iJhoDm8k0ISELcPIir07A9N2XC2IrQr_SpTk66DaXajSgmjHzGZqxtz3CpeIw5XAqrbC2DxyUaPM03QGs49QO1qJ_MRJPQ61TbRf_AqYlGvVA4zPZS2nmAdt8/s640/ADCountryClarity.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Piero Fornasetti screen in a new Greek Revival home built in upstate New York.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Architecture by Peter Talbot, AIA.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Interior architecture and design by Shelton, Mindel and Associates.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photography by Michael Moran.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Architectural Digest.</span></div><div align="center"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9UlOV_mMnhhQ_nT3KQB8U2sfCO3kKOoOOrE2yoycvYLNCbnetWCUfpf_ufP8MZ2RxfQnvFgEYDjgmf6NqjWAQuNQ-77Vj4_P5zilltdYqCzWQKR6sIsOOx9o05D6M3CtkD-6-erro8sk/s1600/ADLoneStarStatement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9UlOV_mMnhhQ_nT3KQB8U2sfCO3kKOoOOrE2yoycvYLNCbnetWCUfpf_ufP8MZ2RxfQnvFgEYDjgmf6NqjWAQuNQ-77Vj4_P5zilltdYqCzWQKR6sIsOOx9o05D6M3CtkD-6-erro8sk/s640/ADLoneStarStatement.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pair of circa 1950 Piero Fornasetti landscape panels in the master bedroom of a</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Tudor Revival home in Austin, Texas.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Interior design by Thad Hayes.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photography by Scott Frances.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Architectural Digest.</span><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJtwc5pXgkC3Eblpv7mEESQDkGSrtYtONOokkICUDIWTYf_Hh2glnuZ79hZ19GOVwZCLNGQP4DmWZnY1EZ35qR-mSdcGVLsC9YT-szo_YshFH5_kn937A-5Fu_C1HBgFvMEffC_4IrMg/s1600/BlogPieroFornasettiADMay2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJtwc5pXgkC3Eblpv7mEESQDkGSrtYtONOokkICUDIWTYf_Hh2glnuZ79hZ19GOVwZCLNGQP4DmWZnY1EZ35qR-mSdcGVLsC9YT-szo_YshFH5_kn937A-5Fu_C1HBgFvMEffC_4IrMg/s640/BlogPieroFornasettiADMay2011.jpg" width="484" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Piero Fornasetti screen in living room of </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Manhattan penthouse.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Interior design by Delphine Krakoff.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Architect: Mark Ferguson</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photography by Eric Piasecki.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Architectural Digest (May 2011.)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">(The stairs in this screen remind me of the work of <span id="goog_937594979"></span><a href="http://www.mcescher.com/Shopmain/ShopEU/facsprints-uk/prints.html" target="_blank">M.C. Escher<span id="goog_937594980"></span></a>. For copyright purposes, I will not include images of M.C. Escher's work here, but he was a graphic artist (1898 - 1972) famous for his "impossible structures" that trick the eye. I have included a link to the official M.C. Escher website so you can view images of "Up and Down", "Relativity", "Ascending and Descending" and "Waterfall", the art that comes to mind when I look at Fornasetti's stairs.)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgujpL6cZ-14f8pa1r5UyNqdJ95GC71Q_mz6Go5ws21tkBuB3fVhKIZJZn0LH8KJeIJVcYdpttpA1Kci9hX89lcaV0znsEIAZXeW9vR7Gi3jKYy5C0ulDtS-P3Hh6-IsDv-7RFvZGdj8/s1600/Cohler-3-0909-xl%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgujpL6cZ-14f8pa1r5UyNqdJ95GC71Q_mz6Go5ws21tkBuB3fVhKIZJZn0LH8KJeIJVcYdpttpA1Kci9hX89lcaV0znsEIAZXeW9vR7Gi3jKYy5C0ulDtS-P3Hh6-IsDv-7RFvZGdj8/s640/Cohler-3-0909-xl%5B1%5D.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here we see the face of Lina Cavalieri in the Fornasetti "Teme e Variazioni" wallpaper </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">from <a href="http://www.cole-and-son.com/" target="_blank">Cole and Son</a>.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Manhattan apartment of interior designer Eric Cohler.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photography by Jonny Valiant.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">House Beautiful.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzDVCZDFGvUekGkHCcjQChNVHv0C94Wal15onRpZVXsZ-rBNr6viWw17QnFxc6o4tYqz7eK-JbUzY-HR4NI5R6qetSjC4kjKedK0hIT0G889uiuJ0wtKdq30EAj7FR0TTOFTnuok3P18/s1600/Cohler-9-0909-xl%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzDVCZDFGvUekGkHCcjQChNVHv0C94Wal15onRpZVXsZ-rBNr6viWw17QnFxc6o4tYqz7eK-JbUzY-HR4NI5R6qetSjC4kjKedK0hIT0G889uiuJ0wtKdq30EAj7FR0TTOFTnuok3P18/s640/Cohler-9-0909-xl%5B1%5D.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although <em>House Beautiful</em>'s website does not identify the name of this wallpaper, I am assuming that it is Fornasetti's "Ex Libris" from <a href="http://www.cole-and-son.com/" target="_blank">Cole and Son</a>.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Bathroom in interior designer Eric Cohler's Manhattan apartment.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photography by Jonny Valiant.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">House Beautiful.</span><br /><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivKc91zIC8HPP45h95QEhTD40EEq6QaxfvF_w9xGPPzy_VyjGGrlb9laYr-HnlDzO3AMR0epqHqIftbw9mls9rb8J9F5nRTlDwbbLYH3XsKIbijv-kNJhQkd5-2P4IAYxyA463iM8Y4us/s1600/BlogPieroFornasettiEDSept2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivKc91zIC8HPP45h95QEhTD40EEq6QaxfvF_w9xGPPzy_VyjGGrlb9laYr-HnlDzO3AMR0epqHqIftbw9mls9rb8J9F5nRTlDwbbLYH3XsKIbijv-kNJhQkd5-2P4IAYxyA463iM8Y4us/s640/BlogPieroFornasettiEDSept2011.jpg" width="528" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> A Piero Fornasetti cabinet in the living area of designer Steven Volpe's <br />San Francisco apartment.<br />Photography by William Abranowicz.<br />Elle Decor (September 2011).</div><div style="text-align: center;">(A  similar chest is available from <a href="http://www.unicahome.com/" target="_blank">Unica Home</a>.)<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEico1LE8gKHiVE0ACh2mv17aP7pwo5svs6JezcVaQ1oz_f4ALJVm5Smmg6FRjftrlDw-5RMa5uUHk4pIc4lTM4L42wvF4v7zK_ZE1qUEkgkgHMYLvjCmsSANnT63J5iAoj3pR8KGZ_v3bg/s1600/BlogPieroFornasettiEDMay2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEico1LE8gKHiVE0ACh2mv17aP7pwo5svs6JezcVaQ1oz_f4ALJVm5Smmg6FRjftrlDw-5RMa5uUHk4pIc4lTM4L42wvF4v7zK_ZE1qUEkgkgHMYLvjCmsSANnT63J5iAoj3pR8KGZ_v3bg/s640/BlogPieroFornasettiEDMay2011.jpg" width="488" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The closet doors in the master bedroom's dressing area are covered <br />in Piero Fornasetti wallpaper ("Ex Libris"). </div><div style="text-align: center;">Brussels townhouse of Jorge Almada and Anne-Marie Midy, owners of <a href="http://www.casamidy.com/index2.html" target="_blank">Casamidy</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Photography by Simon Upton.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Elle Decor (May 2011). </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPVct4gIqSAgWLsbV0LvP-l2MnL8nW8diFkM9HS83P8LR3QN4uweLIQBOefFkErNZ6crHq5gIoMXIiaLmUiKWniKQelIwDDdj8qBquZuSUQuVWdgZp_RFSyT4cPWCC5-xvMUDTj7Bd70/s1600/hbx-gold-serpent-mirror-0912-Dhong-04-lgn%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPVct4gIqSAgWLsbV0LvP-l2MnL8nW8diFkM9HS83P8LR3QN4uweLIQBOefFkErNZ6crHq5gIoMXIiaLmUiKWniKQelIwDDdj8qBquZuSUQuVWdgZp_RFSyT4cPWCC5-xvMUDTj7Bd70/s640/hbx-gold-serpent-mirror-0912-Dhong-04-lgn%5B1%5D.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fornasetti "Nuvole" paper by <a href="http://www.cole-and-son.com/" target="_blank">Cole and Son</a>.</span><br />Look at the image that is reflected in this mirror.<br />San Francisco Row House.<br />Designer: Benjamin Dhong.<br />House Beautiful.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>

Piero Fornasetti

Piero Fornasetti was a Milanese painter, sculptor and interior decorator. Born in 1913, he was the creator of furniture and decorative objec...

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